Leguminous Plants. 
it ; and that it has a very bitter root^ which is sweetened by 
Must. He evidently means a different Siser from that of Dios- 
corides. The ancients thus used the name Siser for differeltit 
plants; arid although at first it signified skirret, it was after- 
wards applied to many other plants, which cannot easily be' 
ascertained. ♦ 
At this day the root of Arum Colocasia, is much eaten iri 
Egypt. The ancients named it Arum or Colocasia^ and of the 
species there is no doubt. The similar root of Arum maculatu7n^ 
and still more of itj italicum, was often confounded with it, and 
felen speaks of both species under the same name. Sometimes 
also, the root of Dracontium^ he says, was eaten, which has a 
sharp taste, and must be frequently dressed. It is Arum Drce-^ 
cumulus. Arum Colocasia grows wild in Egypt, the other 
two species are found in the South of Europe. 
Sprengel, in the Antiquit, hotan. pv 68., treats circumstan- 
tially and precisely of Asplwdelus. In ancient times its tubers 
were eaten, as we learn from a passage in Hesiod. Dioscorides, 
also, when treating of edible roots and brilbs, speaks of AspJio^ 
delus. Sprengel says, very justly, tliat Asplwdelus in Galen 
does not denote Asplwdelus ramosus^ for he speaks of a bulb 
like that of Scilla^ whilst Aspliodelus ramosus carries tubers. 
It is also a suspicious circumstance, that Dioscorides speaks of 
the sharpness of the tubers, whilst in Asplwdelus rdfiwsus^ the 
tubers have no sharp point, as we learn from Bauhin and from 
experience. It is also probable, that among the ancients this 
plant was confounded with some related plants, perhaps with 
the large speeies of Ornithogalus. 
Equally difficult is it to say what was the edible bulb of the 
ancients, (Bulbus esculentus). Many passages in Theophras- 
tus teach us nothing more than that the, plant was a bulbous 
plant. This author even says, that there are different kinds of 
bulbs, some of which were edible, and might be eaten raw, as 
is the practice iri Chetsonesus taurica. Dioscorides speaks of 
fioX/io ? as a well known bulb, but adds, that those which 
are brought from Lybia are red, and agree well with the sto- 
mach. The bitter species, and that which resembles the squill,^ 
agrees still better with the stomach, (1. ii. c. SO0.). Galea also' 
, 's S ■ • 
